Guitarist and composer Christopher Galvan, a Washington D.C, native, began his guitar studies at the age of six, starting his formal training on classical guitar.

As a teenager, he immersed himself in the music of the great masters of improvisation and composition by transcribing, sitting in with and learning from local greats, and playing in professional jazz groups with older musicians. In the early nineties, Chris relocated to Miami, where he performed in a variety of rock and Latin jazz groups.

Chris attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he earned his degree in performance and jazz composition, and played with and learned from some of the finest internationally known jazz artists. Over the years, Chris has studied with and/or attended master classes with: Garrison Fewell, Mick Goodrich, Jon Damian, John Pezanelli, Bob Harrigan, George Garzone, Pat Metheny, Danny Gatton, Jim Hall, Vuk Kalenovich, Ed Tommassi, Andy McGee, and Pat Martino, to name just a few.

After Berklee, Chris embarked on several tours around the country, working in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and most recently Tampa, from which he now returns to the D.C. area. During his travels, Chris has performed with dozens of groups, been involved in recording sessions for radio, film, and television, and has

taught at several fine schools, including the South Bay School of Music Arts in California, Northern Virginia Community College,and The Tampa Guitar School,and has worked with classical phenom and lifelong friend Christopher Ladd of the Hartt School in Hartford, Connecticut.

Chris has performed and recorded with rock, fusion, blues,and jazz groups around the country. He led his own jazz trio with the virtuoso Steve Koch on drums, and the late great Chris Penzimer on bass. It is with this trio that he further developed his interactive approach to modal improvisation, composition, and free playing.

Chris now teaches as Alexandria music in Alexandria VA, and at Kingstown Acoustic Music in Springfield, Va, and is involved in several exciting projects in the local jazz world, including a collaboration of original, modal jazz compositions with the new group "The Black Opal Trio," which includes the phenomenal multi instrumentalist/saxophonist Zulfugar Bahgirov,and percussionist/artist/drummer Jon Paquin. As Chris states, " I have always tried to emulate the spirit and attitude of the masters. With Black Opal, these guys are my friends, and beautiful people. It's really the first group that I've been involved with in which extreme skill and inventiveness finally coincide with the egoless pursuit of art."

Chris also continues to perform in duets, and as a solo artist throughout the "boshwa" area (Boston to Washington). One D.C. critic described Chris' playing as "hauntingly beautiful, with a fearless searching quality." Another said of Chris that "his virtuosity and crisp attack never take from his obvious love for the music. He's an insider gem for the super hip-a player's player."